I went with Dana today to pick Metal of Honor up from Chrome Fusion. She was in the shop having her pipes re-coated. The original black powder coat was flaking off. The new powder coat has a high gloss instead of matte finish. Dana isn't sure he likes it as much, but it will wear MUCH Better and hopefully not flake off.

Here's Dana and Sandy (he did all the hand engraving on Metal of Honor) with the bike inside the shop. As you can see, Sandy is a very busy man with a bunch of projects in the hopper. He says he going to stop doing small projects and focus on full bike jobs, like Metal. So if you wanted an engraved bike, well now you know who to call!

We didn't bring the trailer so Dana rode Metal over to Red Rock Harley where she has to go into the shop again for a factory recall to replace something or other. He rarely gets to ride her and LOVES how loud and fast she is. Don't really get to open her up in traffic since I don't think we went over 40mph. A pretty sedate ride for him, but I did get to drive the large and luxurious Ford Explorer (or whatever this giant SUV is that he owns) behind him on the way over. No way am I letting some idiot get behind him and damage "my" Harley! I usually drive a tiny Nissan Versa and well, you certainly feel much more invulnerable in one of these tanks! Once I figured out where the parking brake was hidden so I could disengage it so it would quit beeping at me, I quite enjoyed the air conditioned seats. It was a mind-numbing 110 degrees in Vegas today, in case you were wondering.

During the recent month-long series of celebrations for the 100th birthday of Medal of Honor Recipient John W. Finn, John was more-than happy to carry out a special request to administer the oath of reenlistment for a fellow NavyAviation Ordnanceman.

This particular reenlistment ceremony was scheduled to take place during the 4th of July Parade held in Coronado, California.

And with John Finn being the Guest of Honor at the parade, a special pre-parade dinner was held at a very nice restaurant in Coronado the night before.

Among the invited guests were the sailor who was to receive the oath of reenlistment, Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd Class (AO3), Melissa Thorton, as well as her mother, who flew all the way from Florida to attend this special event.

As an aside, prior to the commencement of the dinner party, I brought “Metal of Honor” out the trailer and put her on display in front of the restaurant for the guests and the public to see. And as expected, much of my time during the dinner party was spent chatting with people who asked to take pictures of the bike, as well as having wonderful conversations about the project as a whole.

During the dinner party, Melissa rose to her feet and expressed her deep appreciation for the honor of being selected to have the most-revered Ordnanceman in Naval history, John Finn, administer the oath; and I think there wasn’t one person in attendance who wasn’t deeply moved by Melissa’s words... as she stated: "We're not among heroes, we're among angels."As the party was relaxing after a fine evening meal, Melissa took the time to step outside so as to take a few pictures of the bike to show her fellow Ordnancemen aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. And I have to believe by the shear number of photos Melissa took of the bike that she found it pretty special... what with the Aviation Ordnance community's favorite hero engraved on the tank.

Melissa even got on the phone to tell her friends about the bike as well as how excited she was to be eating dinner with the hero of the Aviation Ordnance world, John Finn. The following day, Independence Day 2009, brought with it spectacular blue skies and parade fans 12-deep on both sides of the nearly 2 mile long parade route.And with fellow Aviation Ordnancemen marching in escort of the classic GTO convertible carrying the oldest living Medal of Honor Recipient, Melissa and her mother waited with great anticipation of the arrival of John at the reviewing stand.With a spotless inspection-ready dress white uniform, AO3 Thorton stood at attention, and with right hand raised, took the oath of reenlistment from the Medal of Honor who her fellow Ordnancemen hold as their greatest example of Naval service.And what a wonderful gift to remember this special event by, that of a beautifully framed picture of John Finn, along with a copy of his Medal of Honor Citation, and adorned with three separate Medal of Honor challenge coins, another of the Purple Heart, and an Ordnanceman coin; something any AO would be extremely proud to have on their wall.

All who had the chance to meet and chat with Melissa over this two day period who I subsequently spoke with mentioned that Melissa not only beamed with excitement over these events, but displayed that special spark of energy that only a true sense of the love of duty can bring forth. In short, Melissa made us all feel our own renewed sense of duty to this country.

And that wonderful feeling Melissa left us with is why we all were so incredibly shocked and saddened to hear the news that Melissa was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident only two weeks after the 4th of July.

My prayers for her mother Judi and family have been constant, and in some small way, I hope the photographs taken of this very special sailor will inspire others to find their own love of duty for this country.

We had a great visit today with the Las VegasPHSA Chapter out at Nellis AFB Officer's Club. The Survivors were very moved to see the bike and thrilled to see themselves on Metal's trailer. Quite a few of the officers and airmen going in to lunch stopped to check out the bike as well.

Pearl Harbor Survivor Jack Gold (93, oldest member of Las Vegas PHSA) stands proudly with Metal of Honor at the Nellis Officer Club. The Harley Davidson Cross Bones is owned by Dana Harbaugh, Las Vegas author and Navy Veteran. He created the bike with help from several local artisans to honor all those involved in the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Dana shows LV PHSA Chapter President Ed Hall, the detailed engravings that adorn Metal of Honor. The bike features over 100 images telling the story of the attack.

Nearing 90 years old, Las Vegas Survivor Clifton Dohrmann climbed right up on Metal of Honor for a picture. He was just delighted to see the bike and his picture on the front of the trailer. Once up on the bike, he gave Metal a good look over. He seemed very touched by the tribute to him and those he served with at Pearl Harbor.

Just as we were getting ready to put Metal away, Dana snapped this picture of a flyover by the world famous Thunderbirds. I am sure they had no idea we were there - just a lucky coincidence, but it made a great shot!

Many thanks to Cate Berry for making sure security let us in the gate :)

The USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor is under going a huge renovation in preparation for it's grand reopening in December of 2010. Dana really wants to take Metal of Honor, the truck and the trailer over for the ceremony, but I can't even fathom how much that would cost! So he says to me.. "Hey I bet some high muckety-muck General could make this happen." I started laughing , but then I remember one of my guiding rules in life.. " if you don't ask, they can't say yes!"

So I'm asking. Anyone have any bright ideas on how to get the truck, trailer, and bike to Hawaii for the ceremony ... without it eating up the printing budget for the book, I mean.

David Melchior kindly sent this video over of Dana showing some guests at gathering held Joe & Lil Larkin's house all the engravings on Metal of Honor.

At the Joe Larkin's in San Diego, Dana Harbaugh goes over features of his customized 2009 Harley Davidson that is dedicated to Pearl Harbor survivors. He is explaining to Medal of Honor recipients SP4 John Baca, USA and Colonel Bob Modrzejewski, USMC. Also pictured is retired Marine Captain Joe Larkin. Metal of Honor is a play on words by Dana. His website is: http://www.pearlsofhonor.com. Dana served in the US Navy.

"We all gathered together during flight operations today to honor a man that we respect very highly," said Clift. "Aviation ordnancemen look up to this man for his accomplishments and for his leadership within his rate and his community." The flag that was raised on Eisenhower yesterday has already been flown at sea aboard USS George Washington, USS John C. Stennis and USS Ronald Reagan. It will continue making its way from one destination to the next until it is finally presented to Finn on his 100th birthday, July 23.

A photo Dana took of John at one of his MANY 100th birthday parties.This image and two others Dana took of John's Medal of Honor were enlarged to adorn the car John and his longtime caretaker Francis rode in during the Coronado 4th of July Parade.

I presume many have never seen a "Medal of Honor" flag carried in a parade... but since John W. Finn was the guest of honor at this year's 4th of July Parade in Coronado, California... his banner was seen by thousands that day. And of course, the Medal of Honor Recipient John Finn, seated in the back of this beautiful GTO, had Navy Aviation Ordnanceman marching alongside his vehicle.

Nothing could have topped off this wonderful 4th of July day more than the incredible honor I received when two other Medal of Honor Recipients, John P. Baca (left) and Mr. Robert J. Modrzejewski (right) (click on their link to read their MOH Citations) took the time to do their own inspection of the Remember Pearl Harbor Tribute Motorcycle during a neighborly backyard picnic.

Their complements on this project were incredibly moving to this Navy veteran...

If you're on twitter and love our troops, please support #Militarymon or #militarymonday by tweeting out a thank you to someone you know who's served or a cause that helps our fighting folks. Just add the hashtag #militarymon or #militarymonday to your tweet.

Curious how some of our troops spend the 4th of July? More pics and story at Gazing at the Flag blog.

While you and your family celebrate freedom and independence this weekend, take a few minutes to pay honor to those who have fought and continue to fight for our freedom. Remind your children that freedom has a price and this day is not just for fireworks and pool parties.

I've been retouching pictures for the past couple of days. Our photographer did a great job, but Metal is a giant mirror with all that chrome. There were a lot of reflections that had to be removed or disguised. Here are just a few of the final pics.

We had to put Metal of Honor in the Condor Pit Stop Chok for the pics on the grass. Dana just didn't trust the kick stand on the soft, just watered lawn by the lake. This chok is awesome. Only weighs 22 pounds and Metal stays very stable, even when bumped, on ANY surface. Sometimes you have to make trade offs, especially when you're shooting something that would be so hard to repair if damaged. As a designer, I really appreciate clever, elegant and simple to use design. We were so impressed when we saw them at the Laughlin bike rally earlier this year. Dana bought one for Metal like two weeks later. You just can't beat good old American-made ingenuity!

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We now accept gifts/donations. By making a gift to the Pearls of Honor project, you are helping us to continue our efforts to educate the younger generations, and the young at heart, about the importance of Pearl Harbor.

PLEASE NOTE: We are NOT a non-profit and your gift/donation is NOT tax-deductible. We have the right to use these gifts/donations in any manner we feel is consistent with our stated purpose. Gifts/donations do not entitle you to ANY interest or ownership, including without limitation, in the project or in any resulting form in which we choose to use these gifts/donations.

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About the Author

Living with the Pearls is the blog of Author Dana Harbaugh. Dana's passion is documenting the activities of the Survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor. His life has been enriched by knowing these true American Treasures and he wants to share their story with the world.
Occasional posts are made by others on the Pearls of Honor Team.

About the Book

Many books are available on all facets of Pearl Harbor, who knew what when, what happened the day of the attack, stories of individual survivors and many more angles but none chronicle the Survivors performing their daily mission to Keep America Alert.

Dana's upcoming book Pearls of Honor: Their Duty to Remember is a unique look into the hearts of the Survivors as they struggle to remind America of the price paid on the day that will live in infamy.

The book pays tribute to those Survivors (both living and those who have passed on) as we peer through the window of over 1,000 photos gathered during the last 8 years as Dana became a familiar feature at every gathering... snapping away with his camera. His friendship with the Survivors has allowed him to travel with them to meetings, parades, memorials and celebrations of every kind. During this time, he has come to know them and sees them as more than just symbols of history. They are vibrant men who care deeply for their country and constantly mourn the cost of freedom paid by their fallen brothers. Join us as we explore all facets of their duty to remember.

About Metal of Honor

Dana has also commissioned a complete custom refit of his new Harley Davidson Cross Bones motorcycle to serve as a rolling history lesson. Metal of Honor bears the names of all the ships and bases that were attacked, images of the USS Arizona and the Medal of Honor given to John Finn, the oldest living Medal of Honor recipient, as well as numerous other images related to the attack. The bike will travel the country with Dana, and be shown at various events. Dana will also ride Metal of Honor in parades and escort details to help draw people into the story of these heroes.